Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026

Inducing Acute Lung Injury in Mice by Direct Intratracheal Lipopolysaccharide Instillation
Published on: July 6, 2019
Toluene inducing acute respiratory failure in a spray paint sniffer
Diego P Peralta1, Aymara Y Chang
1Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine at the Permian Basin, Odessa, TX, U.S.A.
Background:
Toluene, formerly known as toluol, is an aromatic hydrocarbon that is widely used as an industrial feedstock and as a solvent. Like other solvents, toluene is sometimes also used as an inhalant drug for its intoxicating properties. It has potential to cause multiple effects in the body including death.
Case Report:
I report a case of a 27-year-old male, chronic spray paint sniffer, who presented with severe generalized muscle weakness and developed acute respiratory failure requiring ventilatory support. Toluene toxicity was confirmed with measurement of hippuric acid of 8.0 g/L (normal <5.0 g/L).
Conclusions:
Acute respiratory failure is a rare complication of chronic toluene exposure that may be lethal if it is not recognized immediately. To our knowledge, this is the second case of acute respiratory failure due to toluene exposure.
Related Concept Videos
Inhalational Anesthetics: Overview
Types of Toxins
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...
Acute Respiratory Failure-I
Definition: It is defined by specific criteria based on blood gas measurements. Hypoxemia happens when the partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) falls below 60 mmHg. At the same time,...
Toxidromes: Clinical Features
